President Donald Trump is pushing a policy of burden-sharing for Ukraine’s security, insisting that European nations must bear the primary responsibility for guaranteeing the country’s safety. This position was emphasized after a call with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
The call with Putin came on the heels of an August 18 White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies. The focus of that meeting was to establish a consensus on how to protect Ukraine in the long term.
Trump’s stance is that while the U.S. will provide “backup,” the main effort must come from Europe. “They should, because they are right there,” he remarked, pointing to the geographical realities of the situation.
This approach to regional security is complemented by a separate dialogue on global strategic issues. Trump disclosed that an August 15 meeting in Alaska with Putin included talks about potential reductions in their nuclear arsenals following the end of the Ukraine war.